Rafina
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Rafina Ραφήνα |
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Aerial view of Rafina Harbour
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 Rafina
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Location within the regional unit
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| Coordinates: 38°1′N 24°0′E / 38.017°N 24.000°ECoordinates: 38°1′N 24°0′E / 38.017°N 24.000°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Attica |
| Regional unit | East Attica |
| Municipality | Rafina-Pikermi |
| • Municipal unit | 18.979 km2 (7.328 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Municipal unit | 13,091 |
| • Municipal unit density | 690/km2 (1,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 190 09 |
| Area code(s) | 22940 |
| Vehicle registration | Z |
| Website | www.rafina.gr |
Rafina (Greek: Ραφήνα) is a town located on the eastern coast of Attica in Greece. It has a population of 13,091 inhabitants (2011 census). Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rafina-Pikermi, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 18.979 km2.
Rafina lies on the Aegean Sea coast, east of the Penteli mountains and northeast of the Mesogaia plain. It is 5 km (3 mi) north of Artemida, 7 km (4 mi) south of Nea Makri and 25 km (16 mi) east of Athens city centre. The municipal unit of Rafina contains, besides the city itself, a large portion of the surrounding area, which is mostly woodland and farmland. The only other town is Kallitechnoupoli with a population of 923.
The town can be accessed through Greek National Road 54 (Athens – Pallini – Rafina), Greek National Road 83 (Athens – Marathon – Rafina) and Greek National Road 85 (Lavrio – Rafina).
Rafina is a port town serving ferries to the southern part of Euboea as well as most of the Cyclades. Its port is the second largest of Attica, after that of Piraeus, but it will probably be superseded by the one in Lavrio, which is currently being expanded.
During the Prehistoric Times, Rafina had already inhabited. The oldest finds are about the Neolithic Period, also, extremely was the remains of the Bronze Age (3,000 years B.C.), which was founded by the excavations of Dimitrios Theocharis in '50s: a settlement on the hill above the port, with facilities of bronze's processing near the delta of the Great Stream, and a Protohelladic Akropolis in the cape of Askitario which you can visit today.
During the ancient times, Rafina, was one of the 100 demes of Athens which was defined by Kleisthenes. The municipality called Arafin, by the name of its first ruler, Arafinas, who was one of the 100 heroes of Attica. In municipality of Arafin, lived one of the ten breeds of Attica. Also, the area near the sea till Artemida, called "Arafinides Ales and here arrived Orestis and Ifigenia from Tavrida.
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